Story | 07 Mar, 2017
IUCN and Sakhalin Energy renew their commitment to protect western gray whales
An independent scientific panel created to protect critically endangered western gray whales in the Russian Far East will continue to monitor activities and provide recommendations to industry in the region for the next five years, according to IUCN.
Story | 23 Feb, 2017
Canada protects unique glass sponge reefs
The conservation community is celebrating a new marine protected area (MPA) for Canada’s ancient and unique glass sponge reefs, which provide a vital habitat to a wide range of marine animals including endangered rockfish. The designation came about through the tireless work of The Canadian…
Story | 21 Feb, 2017
Mass mangrove restoration: Driven by good intentions but offering limited results
There is an urgent need to address the global degradation of coastal ecosystems, but are mass mangrove planting initiatives sustainable?
Story | 17 Feb, 2017
Efforts to save western gray whales featured on Marine Mammals Day in Russia
On the eve of World Day of Marine Mammal Protection (Whales Day) in Russia, IUCN, WWF and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) released the Russian version of a joint report that examines how an IUCN-led independent scientific panel has contributed to the protection of the western…
Story | 26 Jan, 2017
World Wetlands Day: Strengthening resilience and collaboration to reduce disaster risk
On February 2nd the world celebrates its wetlands – complex ecosystems that provide a wide variety of services and benefits for people and nature. Wetlands such as estuaries, mangroves, marshes, and swamps play, beyond their biological role, a key part in helping people cope with disasters. Yet…
Story | 14 Dec, 2016
Update on global statistics from Protected Planet Report 2016
The latest update to the Protected Planet Report 2016 shows that there are now just under 15,000 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) spread across 18.5 million square kilometres of ocean and sea. Up to 13% of territorial waters are now protected, and dramatic progress has been made towards achieving…
Story | 07 Nov, 2016
World Commission on Protected Areas - Marine: making a big splash for the future of our ocean
The 2014 World Parks Congress in Sydney saw a significant scaling-up of recognition of ocean issues by IUCN, WCPA-Marine and partners. Since then, much has taken place behind the scenes to expand WCPA-Marine action areas,whilst strengthening existing programmes, membership services and…
Story | 03 Oct, 2016
Blog: 'Can’t see the water for the trees?' By James Dalton et al.
Originally published in Global Water Forum, Monday 3 October 2016. To maximise downstream water quantity, you remove vegetation – all of it, including the trees. To counter rising carbon dioxide levels, you plant trees – lots of them. How should we do both?
Story | 19 Sep, 2016
Valuing lessons learned leading to good practice: crab resources enhancement in Bang Son Bay
Community-based coastal resources management works: IUCN recently visited two successful ‘crab banks’ in Bang Son Bay, where crab resources are enhanced by keeping female crabs in a shelter until they hatch their eggs, allowing them to release thousands of offspring into the sea. These crab…
Story | 10 Sep, 2016
Designing creative solutions for vulnerable locations
Over the course of three days, several partners including IUCN, the University of Hawai’i Manoa and the Hawai’i Green Growth came together during the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Honolulu, Hawai’i to combine experiences and capacity-building approaches to create awareness and promote…